The assassin's accomplice : Mary Surratt and the plot to kill Abraham Lincoln

by Kate Clifford Larson

Paper Book, 2010

Publication

New York : Basic Books, 2010

Collection

Highlands

Call number

History US L

Physical description

xxiii, 263 p.; 21 cm

Status

Available

Call number

History US L

Description

The true story of Mary Surratt, a shadowy figure behind the assassination of Abraham Lincoln--and the first woman executed by the federal government. Surratt, a Confederate sympathizer, ran the boarding house in Washington where the conspirators, including her rebel son, John Surratt, met to plan the assassination. When a military tribunal convicted her for her crimes and sentenced her to death, five of the nine commissioners petitioned President Andrew Johnson to show mercy on Surratt because of her sex and age. Unmoved, Johnson refused--Surratt, he said, "kept the nest that hatched the egg." Historian Larson tells the intricate story of the Lincoln conspiracy through the eyes of its only female participant. Based on long-lost interviews, confessions, and court testimony, the text explores how Mary's actions defied nineteenth-century norms of femininity, piety, and motherhood, leaving her vulnerable to a punishment historically reserved for men.--From publisher description.… (more)

Subjects

Conspiracies Washington (D.C.)

Lincoln, Abraham, Assassination. 1809-1865

Surratt, Mary E. 1820-1865

Trials (Assassination) Washington (D.C.)

Genres

User reviews

LibraryThing member Cariola

Fairly straightforward account of Mary Surratt's role in the Lincoln assassination. Larson's goal is to prove that attempts to clear Surratt of any guilt were based primarily on her gender--that many people just could not believe a woman capable of plotting the act and that their shock at a woman's

execution led to this opinion.

Show Less

5 more

LibraryThing member FvHSLibraryLady

I found this book fascinating. This well-researched non-fiction book tells the "back story" of Mary Surratt and her role in the assassination of Lincoln. I actually listened to this book on iTunes through an audible.com download.

LibraryThing member horomnizon

I'll admit that I don't read tons of non-fiction and this book is probably one of the reasons. The information was interesting, but the book was not really written in an interesting way. It was like reading a doctoral thesis.

I guess that's why I like historical fiction - it gives me the pieces of

(often well-researched) history, but with an interesting setting and story. This book was hard to get through and was confusing with all the many people involved. A list of 'characters' would have been helpful to keep track of who was involved in what way.

Very informative and if you're really interested in the Civil War and Lincoln's assassination, I'm sure the book is a valuable resource. It just wasn't particularly fun to read for somebody just curious about the history and not an avid reader on the subject.

Show Less

LibraryThing member katekf

I picked up this book due to the movie tie-in and ended up pleasantly surprised. It covers the lead up to Lincoln's assassination and the complex world of Southern Maryland and Washington D.C. before, during and just after the Civil War. The trial of the conspirators provides a gateway into the

minds of those who worked against the Union and shows how painful the Civil War was for all Americans.

A book that moves along quickly without cutting out any details and presents a thoughtful look at what happened around Lincoln's assassination. I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in federal law, the Civil War and who's interested in women who have played a part in all of them.

Show Less

LibraryThing member marient7

Mary Surrat and the plot to kill Abraham Lincoln. Mary Surratt ran a boarding house in Washington where the conspirators, including her own son, John, met to plan the assination. Mary's complicity in the matter has been debated ever since. She was the first woman to be executed by the federal

govenment of the United States.

Show Less

LibraryThing member queencersei

In the nearly century in a half since the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln countless books, movies and conspiracy theories have emerged. Perhaps no part of the assignation has been as little understood as the involvement of one of the convicted and executed conspirators, Mary Surratt.

The

Assassin’s Accomplice attempts to unravel fact from fiction and reality from myth, in determining just what the extent of Mary Surratt’s guilt really was. Compellingly, the author finds that Mary was actually deeply enmeshed in the plot, a willing accomplice and as deserving to be executed for her role as any of her fellow conspirators. An overview of Mary’s life and timeline of events months before the murder of President Lincoln are carefully laid out. History buffs in general of lovers of the Civil War, The Assassin’s Accomplice offers interesting insight into the sad, grand finale of the Civil War.

Show Less

Fewer